The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-04-08
The Color Line.

ill-ItckufE DCtWCch ti1ocCo
Palatka has been rendered inevitable by
the administration of public affairs in
our city for the past few years. The iaIr
has not been enforced, and there has
been no limit at which rowdyism must
learn to accept the decision, thus far
lied the town for two years and public
sentiment or popular favor supported
him in lawlessness and violence. He
beat white and black impartially-
was walking arsenal. and he threatened
with the weight of his vengeance all who
our principal merchants gave him EN-
ployment and acceded to his terms to
evade his threats of burning the town;
witnesses were at his command because
they dreaded personal violence. When
he was sent to Jail white and colored
citizens eagerly bailed him out; ON cleo
ton days his power was acknowledged
and his demand that parties who tried to
enforce the law be left off the ticket,
was always sure of respectful hearing
He raised himself above the law-his
threats against the only officer who with
stood his influence and punished his mis-
deeds were justified by popular support
and indorsed at the polls. This is the
first chapter of the present history
The negro possesses a controlling infiu-
ence in our municipal elections. Pros
pective candidates whisper in his ear,
link arms with him and drink with HIM.
He is allowed to elbow ladies from the
sidewalks-he carries pistols and razors
in his pocket-he is flattered and bribed
at the polls. Is it not natural that iSnor-
ance should think itself above the law
Is it not natural that brutality should be
boastful and loud and threatening: Is 1t
not natural that ignorance and whiskey
combined should claim Difference else
where than in politics? Is it not natural
that presumption should grow on what
it feeds upon and fail to distinguish any
limit to its license, any bound to the ex-
ercise of it's inherent brutality: Its fruits
are seen in our increasing disorder, our
frequent murders, the rapes which are
only known among us of late years. Ii
the law is a dead letter why should 1t be
left to perambulate our streets as an
economical funeral? If it be dead it
should be put out of sight.
The recklessness naturally following
such state of affairs finds frequent ex-
hibition. When a white man was shot
by an ambushed negro there was loud
protest against the arrest of the assassin.
His return was hailed with demonstra-
tions which would have done honor to
Central Africa, and night was made SO
hideous by savage carousais and vague
threats that Northern men, unaccus-
garrisoned their houses, and trembled
for their safety On the streets of Pa
latka, during the sitting of the court ami
within the hearing of the judge, there
is a fight in which white man and a
negro are wounded. Both parties are
Immediately arrested, but a crowd of
negroes besiege the door of the Court
house, threaten violence, arm themselves,
and vent their anger in savage cries. NJ
night they hold an Indignation meet
in +. and evidently believe that the touch
of the law is outrage. that the officer
who does do his duty cannot be endured,
that the white man has no right sacred
from the violation of 1.-The colored citi-
gen."
To the Southerner this state of affairs
is the natural fruit of past growth. The
array of armed negroes and angry white
men on our streets two nights ago was
the open flower we had long seen in
the bud. Give the negro his strict equal
itv before the law and he is a useful Ia
borer. n peaceable citizen and grows up
ward to higher things in the future.
| Give him license, fiatter him and teach
him that the law affects him only when
| he invokes its presence, and he is brutal,
presumptuous, treacherous and danger
Gus as deep ignorance is always, every
where, in whatever aspect it takes on
material shape.
| Then comes the conclusion of this
| strange. eventful history"-it is equally
the fruit of the seeds planted-you car
not gather grapes from thorns nor fig,
| from thistles. When the harvest is ripe
| when disorder has become uncomfortable
when ignorance emancipates itself
from restraint and threatens the prop
erty of the community, then the stronger
calls out the violence against which il
| protests-the weaker is put to the wal
and maudlin sympathy bemoans the evi
it has produced.
| The slaves who were governed strictly
and evenly never gave trouble. Tht
masters who broke the usual license
| ON their plantations only by periodical
savage punishments Were always IL
/ dread. If we will teach the negro thai
he must invariably submit to the law al
we do, give him justice not license al
| pity or tolerance. We can teach him by
example and raise him by precept. The
| Southerner knows the certain conse
/ quence of the license accorded the negro
in Palatka and considers violence its in
evitable end. We are proud to- say thai
We have some colored men among Us
whose heads are proof even against tn,
cruel Indulgence accorded them here
Railroads in Putnam.